End of July - Georgian Bay Coastal Route - Motorcycle tour.

Hey all, not a cruiser owner but planning a trip this year and wanted to see if any others are interested?. Itinerary says 8 days but my hope is to complete in 4 or so. about 850 miles of riding.
Following the route provided by: http://www.gotourontario.ca/Home/Index?lng=en

Here is what site says: Georgian Bay Coastal Route.
The Georgian Bay Coastal Route Motorcycle Tour is designed to take you on the best motorcycle roads around Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada. Enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the clear blue water, as you cruise the best roads on your motorcycle vacation. Ride the roads less travelled, stopping to discover some of the best scenic vistas and attractions around the Bay.

All in all should be a great trip and pretty easy on the wallet, I'll be going with a buddy but I am extending a invite to GTA riders. Not 100% set on dates at this point but figure end of July.
Here is the planned route: ( hope link works)
http://www.gotourontario.ca/Home/Cus...8081983?lng=en
Points to remember

Come prepared and act responsible. Bring all your own gear and money and communications. We will be stopping as much as possible/needed for fuel/food/rest
We will be staying at hotels/motels so no camping required. We have a planner route and will do our best to stick to it.

Any questions let me know.

Anyone else planning trips this summer?

The east part of the route, along 69, is a snooze fest.

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Originally Posted by matthew

The east part of the route, along 69, is a snooze fest.

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Great!, we can catch a nap or two. Thanks!

That looks like a great trip. I have always wanted to go to the island. I'll keep an eye on this post to see when you are leaving. I may be interested. First I am going to do Victoria and back at the beginning of june. Any idea how long this would take?

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Originally Posted by TOTim

That looks like a great trip. I have always wanted to go to the island. I'll keep an eye on this post to see when you are leaving. I may be interested. First I am going to do Victoria and back at the beginning of june. Any idea how long this would take?

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No clue on the trip your planning. But as mentioned before we will be leaving end of July and plan on 4 or 5 days out and about.. I'll be sure to keep this post up-to-date for those are interested.

Thanks!

You are going to have to fill in a lot of sightseeing and side roads as 850 miles is very low in your time frame. That's a comfy 3 day and a decent 2 day.

I'd detail some of the side roads for zig zagging - especially in the Northern part - there are lots of experienced riders that can comment and offer suggestions - I'd bust it into two maps - eastern side and western side.

Not sure which part of the loop you are starting with but this side

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...12102402AM.jpg

You could meander up to the Forks of the Credit - have a coffee break at the new Shed location in Erin and then even take fantastic sailplane ride at Arthur. Make the trip truly memorable

http://www.yorksoaring.com/ - you would aim to arrive there around 11 am to get a good ride. It's weather dependent - exceptionally safe and even if you don't fly it's a nice place to watch - good club house..
If not then you can catch Eugenia Falls ( there is a local waterfall route ) and a good burger there - then go up Beaver Valley Road - nice ride - and intercept your planned route.

- just watch your ferry timing especially the weekends are busy that time of year.

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I'm not as familiar with the eastern portion but there are excellent roads to zig zag up below Lake Nippissing - to the east of your route. Lots of GTA riders live and ride in the area and there are very good roads.
The major roads your route covers are pretty boring and busy ( I can't see your custom map ) while there are gorgeous roads to the east of 69 to enjoy.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...12102445AM.jpg

Just to give a range = North Bay is easily doable in the morning on the major road from the GTA - you could swing over by Huntsville and there are excellent roads north and west and then zig zag up to Sudbury.

Much depends on the day of the week - weekends are brutal for your entire route and be careful with fog on HWY6.
The maps at the top of this forum will give you some good roads in both areas.

Not a group rider but happy to answer questions.

I'd echo MacDoc's comments. Everyone has a different style of touring, so if you're cool with your plan, that's great. But 850 miles is ~1400 kms, give or take. That's 2 medium days of riding, on a trip that's more "on the bike" than "off the bike".

If you're camping, though, maybe that's ok. In my experience, the process of setting up and breaking down camp, even with 2 people, can take more time than I had originally expected. If you like to stay up late around the fire and get up late in the morning, then maybe the mileage works for you. Personally, I'm pretty much always in bed by 10 so I can wake up by 6 and get my arse in gear.

Thank you gents, for the great feedback !!

We plan on "taking it easy" we will go off route to enjoy some of the sights and then head back on track when we are ready. We still have a ways to go. MacDoc we'll be starting north of Barrie. This will be our first "planned" bike trip so we are keeping things loose to ensure maximum enjoyability. I will take a long hard look at what you have provided MacDoc and add it to it our outing. Thanks!!
Have been looking at this tour as well:
http://www.visitgeorgianbay.ca/motor...&itineraryid=1

here is the map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?ie=UTF...6&source=embed

Yeah the big thing is to stay off the main roads on that loop. Starting from Barrie is great so you've got lots to do below or above Nippissing.

Then add the western stuff to the end where you have lots of flex. You could even continue along the lake to the west tho I found it not so interesting.
HWY 9 is high enough that you could actually start the loop from there going west but depends on the day of the week you take off. There are some good roads north of 9 going east west including Hockley Valley.

I find getting out really early is the nicest time of day unless there is fog or you are heading due east into the sun.. Quiet air and superb light for photos.
Take a towel for morning dew - the motels frown on using theirs ;)

That last tour you posted looks good tho again surprised at 7 days.

Not sure how many are going but using a Scala G4 set really enhances the ride in my view especially if sight seeing at lower speeds.
If there is a group it's invaluable to have leader and sweeper with Scalas to make it safer and easier to coordinate.

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Originally Posted by MacDoc

Yeah the big thing is to stay off the main roads on that loop. Starting from Barrie is great so you've got lots to do below or above Nippissing.

Then add the western stuff to the end where you have lots of flex. You could even continue along the lake to the west tho I found it not so interesting.
HWY 9 is high enough that you could actually start the loop from there going west but depends on the day of the week you take off. There are some good roads north of 9 going east west including Hockley Valley.

I find getting out really early is the nicest time of day unless there is fog or you are heading due east into the sun.. Quiet air and superb light for photos.
Take a towel for morning dew - the motels frown on using theirs ;)

That last tour you posted looks good tho again surprised at 7 days.

Not sure how many are going but using a Scala G4 set really enhances the ride in my view especially if sight seeing at lower speeds.
If there is a group it's invaluable to have leader and sweeper with Scalas to make it safer and easier to coordinate.

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As it stands it's a small group. Myself and a friend on bikes and my wife and dog in the truck carrying gear. So that being said we will want to stretch it out to have time to enjoy our little group and see the sights and take a few 100 pictures. I agree I like the 2nd tour better but 7 days does seem a little long, but this is more about the viewing sights than the riding miles, spending time with friends and loved ones is the most important aspect of this trip.

That's a good size and no gear to carry a bonus. Have fun - we expect lots of pics :D

Just discovered this site - might have some ideas for you

http://www.youmotorcycle.com/forks-o...credit-rd.html

I also hate to be a buzz killer, but you will hardly see any water taking this route. You will regret driving all the way up to Sudbury. I've made the ride from Barrie to the SOO 3 or 4 times and I wonder why now. It's just junky riding. I stayed overnight in Elliot Lake a few years ago and vow never to ride anywhere near there again. If I go on a 3 or 4 day trip it's always to the US. Western NY, PA, WV etc. is all closer than you think.

So is northern Quebec - the area above Ottawa and Montreal is gorgeous.

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Originally Posted by ajpower

I also hate to be a buzz killer, but you will hardly see any water taking this route. You will regret driving all the way up to Sudbury. I've made the ride from Barrie to the SOO 3 or 4 times and I wonder why now. It's just junky riding. I stayed overnight in Elliot Lake a few years ago and vow never to ride anywhere near there again. If I go on a 3 or 4 day trip it's always to the US. Western NY, PA, WV etc. is all closer than you think.

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Not a buzz kill at all, everyone travels different. I appreciate your feedback. This year we stay in Ontario that was our vow, next year the sky is the limit.

I live in the area and would advise that you should take the fairy from Tobermory to Manatoulin Island. Manatoulin Island would be the most scenic of the tour. Keep away from highway 69 on the weekend, especially long weekends. Bala is another nice town to visit, if you take the road from highway 69/400 it is one of the most curving roads around. Not much to see in North Bay, but from there to Port Severn the are a lot little bays and inlets in the Canadian Shield along the highway. If you plan to camp near Penetanguishene, then Awenda Provincial Park is a good spot if you prefer natural settings.

Have a great time guys, hope this helps

Cheers